re: Two LSU softball pitchers have entered the portal: Raelin Chaffin & Emma Strood

Believe she said she would months ago

The short answer is YES. She could outdo any 1 of the 3 starting outfielders. Smith proved she is an elite outfielder and hitter in the Big 10 and that is actually harder than in the SEC because she did not have the overall talent on the team that SEC teams have. No one can do it alone but she tried her damnedest though. Her pitching is probably the thing she does the worst and that is because she is a true utility that does several things at a high level. ERA at 3 I guess is not elite but 1/2 the teams in SEC have ERA in the 2.8-3 range. Name another player in Div 1 ball that leaves the mound and heads to CF without missing a beat. BT just legit did not know what to do with a player like Smith and thats why she left. She did not trust the coaches to do right by her and help her achieve all her goals as a player and I totally understand. The mishandling of Morgan Smith is a straight up FAILURE on Beth Torina especially since she has said several times how hard she worked to recruit her. She had 1 job: to use this 5 tool player to her advantage. IMHO that was an EPIC fail. So good for Smith for taking the lemons she was given and making some damn good lemonade. Hopefully the coaching staff learned something for the next 5 tool player that rolls through so they can recognize before its too late.

Maybe not harder at the plate but DEFINITELY harder in CF

Yes this is definitely true. When she played that last 1/3 of her 2nd yr at LSU she was in RF. But watching her now throw from CF reminds me of how much better her arm is than Briggs.
And I disagree. When the pitching is not as strong there are many more hits and line drives in the gap that Smith shot down like a champ! They didn’t call her Wonder Woman in the gap for no reason. Just wish she had been supported and given those opportunities at LSU. Who knows where they end this year if they had that….

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I love how Tiger fans romanticize players that left. Smith hit .262 in her career at LSU and was routinely burnt in RF.

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Well she 100% could have at least been a good DH for us but its also possible she developed significantly since she left LSU, players can have a rough year or two then blossom their later years.

I know the big 10 isn't the best conference in softball but that is still a P5 conference, hitting near .400 means something for an entire season

But we are beating a dead horse, she is gone it doesn't matter. LSU's offensive struggles over the years scoring runs vs competent pitching is a systemic issue and not an individual issue IMO

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I really think she has a hard time balancing coaching with her family time with her kids

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I said this here years ago and got slaughtered. No one can blame her one bit. That’s what a mother should do. But I just don’t think that’s what a top notch coach in the SEC can do.

If you think it’s harder to hit in the big 10 than the SEC well that tells me all I need to know, just curious how many AA pitchers in the Big 10? LSU faced this yr Penta AA, Kennedy AA, Pickens AA, Gotschall, AA, Rothrock AA…5 All American just in conference . LSU played the 4th hardest schedule in the country, Rutgers 87th, Tiger Park is one of the most difficult parks to hit in the country the wind is constantly blowing dead in unlike baseball where it blows out.

Should have been fired long ago, there is the problem with Torina, doesn’t have the courage to do the hard things to be great hence above average not great

And no. I don’t think it’s harder to hit in Big 10 than SEC. Sorry if that was unclear. I DO think it’s harder to play CF though bc the pitching is not as strong and way more hard hit balls in the gap.

I have no clue however if you watched dog crap swing after dog crap swing and your team led the ACC in hitting would you be happy coaching 1st base and being a cheerleader. BTW, Tennessee is a better softball program than we are…it makes me throw up but it’s true